UPI NewsTrack Quirks in the News

GREAT FALLS, Minn., Feb. 12 (UPI) -- A Montana TV station said a report of "dead bodies rising" was the result of an apparent hacking of the Emergency Alert System.

KRTV, Great Falls, said the hacker used the Emergency Alert System to warn viewers of KRTV and the local CW affiliate of "dead bodies rising."

"Do not attempt to approach or apprehend these bodies as they are extremely dangerous," the scrolling warning read.

The station said the hacking came from an outside source and engineers are working to determine how someone was able to get control of the alert system.

The Great Falls Police Department told the Great Falls Tribune it received calls from concerned citizens who saw the warning. However, the department said officers have not been called by KRTV to investigate the hacking.

Former largest croc reclaims title

BRISBANE, Australia, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- A captive Australian crocodile reclaimed the title of world's largest after the death of its successor in the Philippines, Guinness World Records said.

Guinness said Lolong, the 20.2-foot-long crocodile declared to be the world's largest last year, died in captivity, returning the title of world's largest captive crocodile to the previous record holder, 18-foot-long Cassius at a Queensland crocodile park, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported Tuesday.

Billy Craig, a worker at the crocodile park, said it's a bittersweet occasion.

"On one side, we know that Cassius is now the king, but on the other side a 6.17- meter (20.2-foot) crocodile, one of Cassius's kin, has died, and it's a shock at the same time as being good news for us," he said.

Robber's alleged bucket list: Rob bank

CHICAGO, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- A 73-year-old convicted bank robber who claimed he has only six months to live was in custody in Chicago Monday, accused of holding up another bank.

Walter Unbehaun of Rock Hill, N.C., allegedly held up a Harris Bank branch in Niles, Ill., Saturday and was arrested outside a hotel in Chicago Sunday, the Chicago Tribune reported.

A bank teller told authorities an elderly man walked in with a cane and handed a note written on a Harris Bank transaction slip announcing: "This is a hold up. I have nothing to lose."

The robber opened his jacket to a pistol tucked into his waistband and said: "I only have six months to live and have nothing to lose. I don't want to hurt you."

The Tribune said the teller gave the robber $4,178 in cash, which he divided into two stacks and stuffed into separate pockets.

The elderly robber then walked out, got into a gray or silver sedan and drove away, surveillance camera footage showed.

Authorities were led to Unbehaun by a caller who described knowing of someone who matched the description of the bank robber.

Police said a search of his hotel room turned up a loaded handgun, a box of bullets and $3,476 in cash.

Police said in their criminal complaint Unbehaun, who served time for bank robbery in South Carolina and may have had surgery recently, said he had spent most of his adult life in prison and "wanted to go back as he felt more comfortable in prison than out." He allegedly said he wanted to spend the remainder of his life in prison.

"He knew that robbing a bank with a loaded gun would accomplish that," the complaint stated.

There was no confirmation Unbehaun has a fatal health condition.

Survey: Swedes friendlier than Brits

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- A Swedish insurance company said its survey indicates Swedes are more tolerant toward their neighbors than Britons.

Trygg-Hansa said its survey of 3,435 Swedes, carried out in September, and June's survey of 1,000 Britons indicated 70 percent of Swedish respondents don't mind if their neighbors play loud music late on Friday and Saturday nights while only 6 percent of Britons polled said the same, The Local.se reported Tuesday.

"We Swedes have a reputation of being cold and aloof, a myth that this survey contradicts," Trygg Hansa spokesman Johan Eriksson said. "These figures show we are considerate and open, and that we really enjoy talking to our neighbors."

The survey also found 91 percent of Swedish respondents would expect a call from a neighbor if alarms on their home or car went off while they weren't home, compared to only half of British respondents.

The company did not reveal the methodology or margin of error for the survey.

United Press International is a leading provider of news, photos and information to millions of readers around the globe via UPI.com and its licensing services.

With a history of reliable reporting dating back to 1907, today’s UPI is a credible source for the most important stories of the day, continually updated - a one-stop site for U.S. and world news, as well as entertainment, trends, science, health and stunning photography. UPI also provides insightful reports on key topics of geopolitical importance, including energy and security.

A Spanish version of the site reaches millions of readers in Latin America and beyond.

UPI was founded in 1907 by E.W. Scripps as the United Press (UP). It became known as UPI when after a merger with the International News Service in 1958, which was founded in 1909 by William Randolph Hearst. Today, UPI is owned by News World Communications.